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bitternut

bitternut

9.5
A hickory tree that makes bitter thin-shelled nuts and the nut itself
  • noun
  • /ˈbɪtərnʌt/
  • US
translation icon : nuez amarga
  • While hiking, we came across a grove of bitternut hickories along the riverbank.
  • bitternut hickory

Examples

  • The bitternut is easily recognized by its distinctive yellow buds.

  • Squirrels often avoid the bitternut because of its intensely bitter seeds.

  • The bitternut tree grows well in moist areas.

  • Many animals rely on bitternuts for food in the fall.

  • The bitternut tree is known for its distinctive compound leaves with 7 or 9 leaflets.

  • We found a bitternut in the forest, whose thin-shelled nuts were bitter to taste.

  • The wood from the bitternut hickory is often used for making furniture due to its durability.

Synonyms

bitternut hickory
vsbitternut
  • US
9.1

A North American tree with leaves of seven or nine leaflets and thin-shelled, very bitter nuts

is the single-word familiar name instead of the two-word form
Carya cordiformis
vsbitternut
  • Specialized
9.9

A hickory tree from eastern North America with leaves made of 7 or 9 small parts and thin, bitter nuts

is the everyday common name rather than the scientific label
bitter hickory
vsbitternut
  • US
9.9

A hickory tree with leaves that have seven or nine small parts and thin shelled nuts that taste very bitter

is the preferred common name rather than this alternative label
bitter pignut
vsbitternut
  • Specialized
9.9

A tree in the eastern United States with leaves of seven or nine small parts and thin, very bitter nuts

is the standard name rather than a regional variant
swamp hickory
vsbitternut
  • US
9.8

A tree from the eastern United States with 7 or 9 leaflets and thin, very bitter nuts

focuses on the species without implying a specific habitat

Compounds

A North American tree with leaves of seven or nine leaflets and thin-shelled, very bitter nuts

A tree that has many narrow leaflets and bitter nuts and grows in wet parts of the southern United States

Surface Forms

bitternut singular
bitternuts plural

Morphology

bitternut = bitter + nut (transparent) = bitter + nut

A straightforward compound denoting a nut (or tree producing it) that is bitter; meaning is directly inferred from its parts.

Etymology

The word bitternut comes from the English parts bitter and nut, meaning a 'bitter' tasting nut. It names a hickory tree whose thin-shelled nuts are very bitter, which is why animals often avoid them.